Metis Collective Rights

1869-1870 Manitoba Act

The Red River Resistance resulted in the Manitoba Act. The Manitoba Act was passed by Canada’s parliament. This act suggests that Manitoba is a bilingual province, has education rights for Catholics and Protestants, and Metis land rights. This means that the Metis would receive more than 500 000 hectares of land and also the farms that they had established. along the Red River.

Feb 17th, 1879

1875-1879 Scrip

The Canadian government had issued scrip to the Metis people. They had given them this document because they felt that the Metis didn’t require reserves like the First Nations because they didn’t have the same rights as First Nations people. Scrip was a document that could be exchanged for land and was offered to the Metis. The Metis thought that this wasn’t fair because they also should have rights to land because they were here before these settlers came in.

Feb 17th, 1885

1885 Northwest Resistance

The Northwest Resistance wanted to protect Metis land rights since the railway and settlers have moved to the west. The Metis sent petitions to the Canadian government about their land rights but the government ignored them and didn’t reply the Metis people’s concerns about their land rights. This led to Louis Riel being responsible for the military conflict with the Canadian government. Today, a lot of people have different perspectives for this event.

Feb 17th, 1910

1896-1910 St.Paul de Metis

Many Metis settlers have already built farms at St. Paul de Metis provided by the Catholic Church. The Metis didn’t have ownership to build those farms on that land, and eventually had to leave when all the settlements were closed.

Feb 17th, 1938

1938 Metis Population Betterment Act

L’Association des Metis de l’Alberta et des Territoires du Nord-Ouest had lobbied Alberta’s government asking land rights for the Metis. Eventually, the government passed the Metis Population Betterment Act, establishing twelve settlements. This had been the first time in Candian history that a government had given Metis land.

Feb 17th, 1960

1940-1960 Metis Settlements

The settlements that Alberta had established did not really give the Metis control of their land. Four of the settlements didn’t provide the Metis with hunting, fishing or farming. When this was discovered, all of the settlements closed and the land was given back to the government of Canada.

Feb 17th, 1982

1982 Constitution Act

The Metis had fought long and hard to establish their rights in Canada’s constitution. Under section 35, in the constitution, the Métis were recognized as one of Canada’s Aboriginal People with rights.

Feb 17th, 1990

1990 Legislation

The Metis had received permanent land base with the right to manage their own affairs. The legislation included:
-Constitution of Alberta Amendment Act
-Métis Settlements Accord Implementation Act
-Metis Settlements Act
-Metis Settlements Land Protection Act
Alberta’s government also gave Metis rights to join the development of oil and gas resources on the land.

Feb 17th, 2004

2003-2004 Supreme Court

The Supreme Court had decided that the Metis have the right to hunt and fish as one of Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples. These rights are part of the Metis people’s identity and culture. Also these rights recognize the relationship that the Metis have with the land and their inherent rights as Aboriginal People. In 2004, two negotiations, have agreed with Alberta’s government about recognizing their hunting and fishing rights without licenses.

Feb 17th, 2006

2006 Promised Land

The Metis had introduced a case in Manitoba saying that their land is being used by people of non Metis descent. Their promised land in the Manitoba Act was not delivered since Winnipeg stands on the land that the Metis have claimed under the Manitoba Act.

Feb 17th, 2012

To what extent has Canada affirmed Collective Rights?

The Canadian government has affirmed the Metis collective rights because they have included them in the Constitution Act as one of Canada's Aboriginal People. The government also gave the Metis the right to hunt and fish without licenses because that is part of their culture and identity. Though the Canadian government looked down on the Metis before, they are recognized as one of Canada's founding people with collective rights protected by the constitution.